Cargo trailer



p 1952 M. FRANCIS 2,611,640

CARGO TRAILER Filed Aug. 50, 1948 2 SHEET SSHEET l LET-.1-

INVENTOR.

LY M. FRANCIS p 23, 1952 L. M. FRANCIS 2,611,640

' CARGO TRAILER Filed Aug. 50, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N m 0 N N N INVEN TOR. LYNN M. FRANCIS Patentecl Sept. 23, 1952 CARGO TRAILER Lynn M; Francis, Detroit, Mich. Application August 30, 1948, Serial No."46,859:

2 Claims. 1.

'The present invention relates to a cargo trail- 'l and in particular to such a cargo trailer which may be used with a drop "floor to haul vehicles such as automobiles, and which may be quickly and simply converted to provide a flush floor van for hauling freight.

Vehicle-hauling trailers of conventional construction are extremely limited in their use inasmuch as the space in such trailers is broken up by thetracks which are provided in several angular planes to accommodate thevehicles. One 01 such conventional trailers, may, for example, make a deliveryof new automobilesor tractors from a large industrial city to a'smaller city or town. In all probability, there will be no reason to haul vehicles back to the first city, and :thus the return trip is made empty.

The cargo 'trailer'of'the present invention; is designed to provide-a readily convertible trailer which may be used selectively to haul vehicles or general cargo. .Applicantstrailer is adapted" for use as a dropped'floor'trailer to haul the custernary number of angularly disposed vehicles therein. Upon the delivery of said vehicles, the trailer may quickly and easily be converted to a large enclosed fiat floor van. 'Thus; thereturn tripmay be made with a general 'cargo load which is completely covered and' shielded from the weather.

I-t-ls a principal object of the present invention to provide a cargo trailer which'can be'converted quickly and easily from a vehicle-hauling trailer to a spacious, coveredfreight trailer or van, and vice versa.

Anotherobject of the 'present invention is to provide a" convertible freight van and vehiclehauling trailer which is of sturdy construction, and which is simple and economical to manu iacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a convertible freight van and vehiclehauling trailer which is relativelylight and easy to haul Other obiects or this invention will appear in the following description and-appended claims, reference being had to the accompanyingjdrawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.-

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the-cargo trailer of the present invention adjusted for use as a freight trailer or van, and with part of the wall panel broken away to disclose the constructionoi' the interior of the trailer.

Fig; 2'is a side elevation of thefcargo trailer of the'present invention adjusted for 'use as-a vehicle-hauling trailer, and with part of. the wall panelbrok'en away to disclose the interior of the trailer. Y a Fig. 3 is a top plan'view' of the present invention.

Fig.4 is a front elevation of the trailer adjusted for use as a freight van and" using a fiexiblerooi covering to'i'orm aweatherproof-top;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of thetrailer adjusted for useas' afreight van'and utilizing a'compressible seal and wall fiangelto iorm aweatherproof or the cargo trailer top. j i V V Before explaining the present invention in de.-' tail; it is to be understood'tha't the inventionis not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inventionis capable of other embodiments and" of being practiced or carried'out in variousfways.

Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed" herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation; I c

The vehicle tracksfprovided in the trailer of the present invention are formed as vertically adjustable platforms which areseparable at a point approximately half their length instead, of two separate track members characteri'sticlof conventional. vehicle-hauling trailers. Thisc'ofmstructi-on provides a solid deck member adaptable for use as a floor or roof when'the divided see; tions of the platform are abuttingThe twosections' of the upper track platform are provided at theircabu-tting points. with sealing. means so that the sections form aweather-tight contact at their said abutting points when in a closed position. This sealing. of the middle point 'of the divided upper track platform insures protection of the inside of'the trailer agains-tweather when the said upper trackplatform is used as'a roof member as hereinafter described. I

Since the track platforms are divided in the middle to form two sections, each sectionmay be raised or lowered separately and less strain is imposed upon the platform'jheighteadjusting means;

Thecargo trailer of the present invention.

e wa l3.. Thev such as lightweight sheetmetal, whichis prefer.

ably corrugated v to provide additional reinforce-'- ment. Within the trailer, the uppert'rack platform ii and lower track platform ii are supported by hydraulic cylinders or jacks l6 and [6A. The lower track platform I5 is hinged at l1, l8, l9 and 20 to allow adjustment. A vertically extending cross member 21 is located across the bottom to provide a locking means for the separated middle portions of the lower track platform 15 when it is in its lowered vehiclecarrying position. The rear of the trailer is provided with conventionaltail gates 22 and 23, and the top is provided with a suitable cover such as the canvas 24.

When using the trailer of the present invention as a vehicle-hauling trailer, it is operated as follows:

The tail gates 22 and 23 are opened and the two sections of the upper track platform 14 may be lifted by the hydraulic jacks IE to the position shown in Fig. 1. lowered by the hydraulic jacks USA to the position indicatedin Fig. 2. The vehicles are then driven up a'loading ramp and 1 onto the lower track platform. 15 where they are blocked or secured in position. The middle portion of the lower track platform 15 is divided as here shown and each end thereof is held in place against the cross member 2| and is supported thereby.

The space between the ends of the lower track platform l'5 when in their lowered position as shown in Fig. 2 is taken up by the change in the angular alignment thereof when the platform i is raised to-the horizontal position shown in Fig. l. The upper track platform M is then lowered to the position indicated in Fig. 2 by the hydraulic jacks l6, and cars are driven onto the saidupper track platform M from any suitable type of ramp The tail gates Hand 23 are closed and the loaded trailer is ready for hauling the vehicles.

The track platforms [4 and 15 are stopped in different positions by any suitable stopping means not shown and are locked in position by any suitable lockingmeans not shown.

By inclining the vehicles on the lower track platform. 15 as shown in Fig. 2, it is possible to seat the upper track platform is lower in the trailer en route and thus reduce the overall height of theload to conform to heightregulations and to provide clearance'beneath bridges, viaducts, andthelike.

The vehicles are unloaded by adjusting the track. platforms with the hydraulic jacks and moving the'cars down ramps which are provided for this purpose.

After the vehicles are unloaded, the upper track platform I4 and lower track platform 15 are moved into the positions indicated in Fig. l. The middle portions of the lower track platform I5 abut as shown at 25 when the said lower track platform {5 is in the raised position. By hinging the lower track platform [5 as shown, the two sections comprising the said platform are long enough to extend against the cross member 2! when in the lowered position, and also are adapted to engage each other so as to form a continuous horizontal platform when, in the raised position.

Thus a flat floor member is provided by the lower track platform [5, and the upper track'platform It is raised and becomes a roof member. The trailer then becomes a spacious van adapted for hauling general freight and cargo. When the freight is loaded onto the van or trailer, a suitable flexible covering 24 is pulled over the roof' and tail gates 22 and 23' and then closed to provide a weather-tight body structure.

; An alternate -metho dnof forming a weather The lower track platform is tight roof is shown in Fig. 5. In this construe tion, the top edge of the wall panels 12 is bent inwardly at a degree angle as indicated at 28. The top surface of the upper track platform I4 is provided along its edge with a resilient sealin material 21 such for example as a rubber compound. The seal 21 along the top edge of the upper track platform l4 may then be raised by the jacks 15 against the edge 26, thus compressing the seal 21 and forming a: weather-tight roof member. In thisconstruction, the upper track platform i4 is formed as a horizontal platform with no angular deviation and is closely spaced from the side wall panels to keep the sealing member as small as possible and thus to reduce the possibility of leakage to the minimum.

It will be seen that the lower floor member includes a central flat floor portion which is parallel to the lower frame of the trailer at all times and fixed spaced flat ehd floor portions one of which overlies the fifth wheel; coupling andthe other of which overlies the rear axle ofthe trailer. The'space between the ends of the central flat floor portion and the flat end fioor portions is closed by the hingedmovable floor portions, one of which extends downwardly and forwardly of the rear axle of .the trailer and the other of which extends downwardly and rearwardly of the fifth wheel coupling when the floor is in the lowered po'sition shown in Fig. 2. Due tothe hingedbonstruction, the inclined portions become a part ofthe flat horizontal floor when the central portion is raised as shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus disclosed my invention, what I desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis: I "Iclaimz' 1. In a cargo trailer'iadaptedfor hauling either vehicles or freight and having .a bottom therein, a lower platform comprising. fixed'portions near each endof said trailer and spaced above'the bottom thereof, a "pair" of. pivotal sections one mounted to the inner edge .of eachof said fixed portions for pivotal movement about an axis transverse. to the longitudinal armor said trailer, a cross member disposed .in a plane bel owlsaid fixed sectionsand mounted adjacent the bottom of the trailer; andimeans'to raise and lowersaid sections, each of said sections being composed of a pair of units Joined together to; permit limited pivoting of one unitrelativeto the other,-the free ends of said sections abutting when in the raised position to "form a substantially horizontal freight carrying floor for the trailer, and one of the units of each section extending along the bottom of the trailer and against the cross member in the lowered position so that the other unit extends at an angle between said fixed portions and said first named unit to permit vehicles to be carried at an angle on said lower platform.

2.-An opentop cargo trailer for hauling.- either vehicles or freight, comprising wall members 'sur rounding the sides, front and rear of said trailer, an upper platform vertically movable within said walls and a lower platform forming a bottom for said trailer, said upper platform being selectively movable to a position adjacent the topiedges of said walls to form-a top closure for said trailer when used for hauling-freight andalso. being selectively movable to a lowered position spaced below the upper edges of saidwalls when used for hauling vehicles whereby-vehicles may be first placed in position on --the'lower platform and the upper platform may then be lowered to a point immediately above the vehicle to permit carry-1:

ing vehicles on the upper platform at a minimum height, said trailer being provided with a fifth wheel coupling and a rear axle and said lower platform comprising fixed floor sections disposed over the fifth wheel coupling and the rear axle respectively and a pivotal floor section pivotally secured to the inner edge of each of said fixed sections, said pivotal sections having their free ends abutting in the horizontal position thereof to form a continuous horizontal floor for the trailer when used for hauling freight, a cross member disposed in a plane below said fixed sections and mounted adjacent the bottom of the trailer, said pivotal sections adapted to pivot to a position such that their free ends abut the said cross member to form an angularly disposed floor for the trailer when used for hauling vehicles, said angular floor permitting the lowering of the vehicles carried on the lower platform'and thus permitting the upper platform to be lowered to a maximum extent, thus providing a minimum overall height for the trailer and vehicle.

LYNN M. FRANCIS.

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 16, 1928 

